At Everton between 2018 - 2022
Attack-minded left-back Lucas Digne became Marco Silva’s second signing as Everton boss in summer 2018.
Digne has won league titles with European heavyweights Paris Saint-Germain and Barcelona and was a key player for Roma when the Serie A giants reached the Champions League knockout stages in 2016.
He arrived at Everton having amassed 21 caps for France and been part of the French squad which finished runners-up in its home European Championship in 2016.
Born in Paris, Digne has represented his country at every level from Under-16 through to the senior side and began his career in the academy of LOSC Lille.
The defender established himself as a fixture in Lille’s first team after making his Ligue 1 debut aged 18 in January 2012, starting 13 of the closing 15 matches as his side pieced together a wonderful late run to finish third and claim Ligue 1’s final Champions League berth.
He crowned a sparkling 2012/13 – when he scored against Copenhagen to help Lille navigate the Champions League final qualifying round and played 44 games in all – by winning the Under-20 World Cup with France.
Days after that success with his national team, the teenage Digne was prised from Lille by PSG, the capital club shelling out £13.5million for one of the country’s hottest defensive talents.
Returning to his home city, Digne helped PSG retain the Ligue 1 crown and halt a six-year wait for the Coupe de la Ligue in his debut season, earning a call-up for the World Cup in Brazil where he featured in a goalless group-stage draw with Ecuador.
Digne’s second campaign at the Parc des Princes proved the most fruitful yet of the defender’s embryonic career as PSG went one better and added the Coupe de France to further league and Coupe de la Ligue successes.
The Frenchman traded his homeland for Italy when he agreed a temporary switch to Roma during the summer transfer window in 2015.
The full-back’s lightning start at the Olympic Stadium when he excelled in his new team’s 2-1 win over Juventus served as a pointer to the fabulous campaign which would unfold.
Digne featured in 42 matches during his season in Rome, with his swashbuckling presence on the left flank integral to his club leading the Serie A scoring charts and securing a top-three finish.
Roma’s Champions League campaign was ended by eventual winners Real Madrid in the last 16 but Digne’s vibrant form attracted the attention of Real’s arch rivals Barcelona.
The five-times European champions moved to capture Digne on permanent terms in summer 2016, paying PSG £13.9m for the player and inserting a £51m buy-out clause in his five-year deal.
Digne contested the Nou Camp left-back spot with Spain’s Euro 2012 winner Jordi Alba but nevertheless chalked up 26 outings in all competitions in his first year in Catalonia. Barca ended the season by winning the Copa del Rey, with Digne having scored his first goal for the club in that competition as they dismantled Hercules 7-0 in the opening round.
Digne played a further 20 times in 2017/18 as Barcelona landed a league and cup double – the eighth and ninth major honours of his career – and was on target in a 3-1 Champions League win over Olympiakos in the October of that season.
After earning his 21st cap for France against Colombia in March 2018, he was named on standby for the France squad which won the World Cup in Russia.
Digne completed his move to Goodison Park on August 1, 2018 and followed Brazilian forward Richarlison in joining Silva’s ranks.
At the end of an excellent first season, Lucas was awarded both Player Of The Year, and Player's Player Of The Year, which he shared with Idrissa Gueye.
On Wednesday 24th February 2021, Lucas extended his contact with the club by a further 2 years.
On 13th January 2022, Lucas left Everton to join Aston Villa.
Good luck for the future from all at Love Everton.
Source : Everton FC
